


one in a melon (pepero kisses)

by hoeunki



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Pepero Day, Pining, Singles' Day, Surprise Kissing, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-21 21:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16584815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoeunki/pseuds/hoeunki
Summary: Chenle’s feeling especially lonely on Singles’ Day, but he doesn’t know how to work up the courage to ask Jisung to be his boyfriend.On the other hand, the rest of NCT thinks that Pepero is the answer to everything.(and maybe it is.)





	one in a melon (pepero kisses)

**Author's Note:**

> happy singles' day and pepero day!! go do some online shopping or treat yourself when you're done reading this fic <3

_The wind was blowing, cold against Chenle’s legs. He was sitting in a meadow of wildflowers and it smelled vaguely like oranges. But that couldn’t be right, because in dreams you cannot smell. That was something he remembered Sicheng telling him. It must’ve been the remnants of the orange pudding he had last night._

_Jisung sat in front of him, barefoot and clad in that white outfit that he wore in Dancing High. He was picking at the flowers and tying them into a little crown. Chenle scooted over until their knees were touching. He watched quietly as Jisung finished his handiwork, admiring the way his long fingers worked around the stems and the blades of grass._

_“Here,” Jisung said, holding it up to Chenle. “For you.”_

_“Thanks!”_

_Chenle took the flower crown graciously, placing it atop his head. He smiled and watched as a pretty blush bloomed across Jisung’s cheeks. Jisung, in a very uncharacteristic display of boldness, reach forward and took Chenle’s hands in his own._

_“Chenle,” Jisung looked into his eyes. “Can I kiss you?”_

_WIthout a beat of hesitation Chenle replied, “Of course!”_

_The look of happiness that appeared on Jisung’s face was something Chenle wanted to ingrain in his mind forever. But alas, when he woke, he would most likely forget this all ever happened._

_Lucid dreaming was strange._

_Jisung lifted his hand to Chenle’s jaw, cupping it as he brought their faces together. Chenle’s eyes fluttered to a close as Jisung’s breath ghosted over his lips and then-”_

 

 

“Chenle?” There was a hand on his shoulder, stirring him awake. “Please don’t drool on the sofa.”

“Noooooo,” he whined, kicking his feet. “You ruined the moment, Kun-ge.”

Kun ruffled Chenle’s hair fondly. “You should’ve told me you slept over. I would’ve let you sleep in my room.”

Chenle sat up, stretching his arms over his head as he yawned loudly. “It’s fine. An old man like you should sleep comfortably. I'm kidding!” he added, as he saw the scowl on Kun"s face.

Kun rolled his eyes and shuffled into the kitchen with his fluffy bunny slippers. “Go wake up Renjun and the others!” he hollered.

Chenle sighed and rolled off the sofa, narrowly missing the edge of the coffee table. He pulled his blanked up around his shoulders like a coat and lumbered into the hallway. Renjun’s room was the first one on the left, and Chenle didn’t bother knocking first before he turned the handle and pushed the door open.

“Huang Renju-”

The words died on his tongue. Before him, Lucas and Renjun were snuggled up in Renjun’s tiny bed, both of them still sound asleep. Lucas’ hand was cradling Renjun’s head to his chest while the younger boy snored peacefully, lips slightly parted. Their legs were intertwined and Lucas’ feet dangled off the side because his legs were too long. The blanket lay in a heap on the floor.

It was an endearing sight, but Chenle felt a twinge of jealousy.

Renjun’s alarm suddenly rang, startling Chenle. Renjun shifted and blindly reached for his phone, swiping the alarm away. Chenle watched as Renjun kissed Lucas gently to wake him. It was a rare sight to see Renjun with his guard down, even more so to see him initiating intimate gestures.

Lucas stirred and he opened his eyes, smiling down at Renjun. “Good morning, _宝贝_.”

Renjun _giggled_ —Chenle almost couldn’t believe it—and nuzzled into Lucas’ neck.

“Morning to you too, _甜心_.”

Chenle cleared his throat. “Um, Kun’s making breakfast and he said to get up.”

The couple looked over at him, not looking the slightest bit shameful at having been caught kissing and calling each other pet names. Lucas gave him a thumbs up and Renjun told him to close the door on his way out.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Jaemin pounced on Chenle and shoved something into his mouth.

“Good morning, Lele! Happy Pepero Day!” The broad-shouldered boy beamed at him with an armful of Pepero boxes. Jaemin was always too cheery in the morning.

Chenle crunched on the almond one in his mouth, only then remembering that it was, in fact, November 11th. He glanced at his Apple watch just to make sure. He sighed after he swallowed, and Jaemin’s smile instantly fell.

“What’s wrong? I thought you liked almond Pepero.”

“I do! But in China we don’t celebrate Pepero Day. It’s Singles’ Day,” Chenle explained. “It’s supposed to be when single people celebrate being single but I don’t know, It kinda makes me feel extra lonely.”

The image of a certain hamster-looking boy flashed through his mind.

Jaemin nodded understandingly. He tried to pat Chenle on the back but his hands were occupied, so he settled with a peck on the cheek.

“I'm sure he'll come around soon, Lele. Jisung just needs a little but of prompting.” He winked and disappeared into Jeno's room, leaving Chenle gawking in the hallway.

Chenle shook his head and breathed deeply. He needed to collect himself before entering Jaemin and Jisung’s shared room.

“Jisung!” he barged in. Without a second thought, he flopped onto the thin figure who was just about to sit up. Jisung groaned, collapsing back down as Chenle looped his arms around his body. “Wake up! I think Kun-ge's cooking fried rice today.”

Jisung brushed his dyed fringe from his eyes. “Did you sleep on the couch again? That's not good for your back.”

He pinched Chenle's cheek, a friendly, familiar gesture that never failed to make Chenle smile. He poked Jisung’s soft skin in return, watching it bounce back like a mochi.

“Get off, you're heavy.”

Chenle pouted. “Meanie.”

Jisung flicked his forehead gently. “You know it.”

Chenle wondered if Jisung could feel his heart thumping.

 

 

See, Chenle never had the time to think about Singles’ Day. In the past few years his mind was completely occupied with pursuing his dreams, and he was far too busy enjoying his youth to be concerned with relationships. Then they debuted, and the gears in Chenle’s life started turning at twice the speed.

But somewhere along the way, a cute boy started to worm his way into Chenle’s weak heart. His chic exterior, his soft laughs, they way he danced…suddenly Chenle found himself thinking very non-platonic things about Jisung. Like how nice it would feel to hug him to sleep, or to hold his hand whenever he wanted to. Or to kiss his forehead and watch as his nose did that endearing scrunch thing.

Chenle was feeling very much single as he watched Renjun feed Lucas an egg roll with his chopsticks. Lucas brushed a crumb from Renjun's lips, causing the other boy to smile. Chenle stabbed at his rice and blew bubbles into his soy milk.

Jeno nudged him. “You okay there?”

Chenle sighed softly and nodded. Jeno glanced at Jaemin and took a Pepero box from him, sliding it Chenle's way.

He looked down at the white box. Maybe drowning his sorrows in the sweet snack would ease his mind. Chenle took the box and opened the packaging, stuffing three into his mouth. At that moment, Jisung came back from his shower, toweling his hair dry.

“Happy Pepero Day!” Jaemin yelled, tossing a box at Jisung, who caught it with surprise.

“Oh!” he said. “I totally forgot. I didn't buy any.”

Jungwoo, who was washing the dishes, looked over with a cheeky grin. “Was there someone specific you wanted to give Pepero to, Jisungie?”

Chenle tried to look disinterested as he fished another stick out of the box. There was a tiny sliver of hope in his heart that perhaps Jisung would say his name, even if was just because they were best frie-

“Nope,” Jisung chirped.

The Pepero snapped between his fingers, little crumbs dusting the table. Chenle blinked as seven pairs of eyes turned to him.

“Whoops! These Pepero things are so delicate sometimes,” he laughed awkwardly. Jaemin sniggered into his palm and Chenle kicked him under the table. Jisung didn’t seem to understand what was happening, but he took a seat next to Chenle anyway.

“Can you pass me the rice bowl?” he asked.

Chenle looked at him. Jisung was so painfully oblivious sometimes, almost as much as Mark. They constantly gave mixed signals yet didn’t know how to take hints. A wave of empathy for Donghyuck washed over Chenle and he sighed.

Jisung coughed. “Uh, Chenl-”

“Here’s your rice,” Chenle shoved the bowl into his hands and stood up, the chair screeching against the floor. He bit his bottom lip, feeling ugly emotions bubbling up in his stomach. Frustration, jealousy, a hint of longing. But Chenle wasn’t planning on breaking down in front of the rest of the Dreamies. Especially not Jisung.

“Now if you excuse me, I’m going to the hyungs’ dorm.”  

 

 

When he arrived at Sicheng, Yuta, and Taeil’s shared room, the three of them were huddled over a laptop together. Yuta and Taeil were practically crushing Sicheng under their weight, but the dancer didn’t seem to mind as he continued to scroll lazily.

“Hey, kiddo,” Taeil greeted. “We’re just doing some shopping. Online sales are so much fun!”

“Ooh, let’s get a blender!” Yuta suggested.

Sicheng raised an eyebrow. “We already have one.”

“Yeah, but it’s good to have a backup, right?”

“You just want one for your protein shakes,” Taeil retorted.

Yuta huffed and crossed his arms. “And what about it?”

Chenle groaned and dived onto the other bed, hugging a pillow to his chest. He didn’t want to encroach on Sicheng’s personal time with his roommates? Boyfriends? Chenle wasn’t entirely sure what their relationship was. They hadn’t explicitly put a label on it yet.

Sicheng glanced over. “Do you need advice or something?” He lowered his laptop screen and pushed the other two off him. Chenle rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He wasn’t really sure how to approach this topic. Usually all of his boy trouble rants were reserved for Kun’s ears only. Chenle took a deep breath and decided to just go for it.  

“How do I tell someone that I like them more than a friend without potentially ruining our long lasting friendship?”

Yuta sat up straighter, an excited gleam in his eyes. “From my personal experien-”

“I'm gonna have to stop you right there,” Taeil interrupted, slapping a hand over the Japanese man's mouth. Sicheng snickered and patted Yuta's back comfortingly as he whined.

“Well,” Taeil hummed. “You just need to work up the courage, I guess. And courage isn't something that anyone can give you. But when you do feel brave enough, you just need to get them alone—Yuta shut up they're minors—and say what you need to say. You can't guarantee that the other person will feel the same way, but that's okay. Things work out in the end, Chenle.”

“And if we're thinking about the correct person, I think you have a better chance than you think,” Sicheng added.

Chenle sat still, absorbing Taeil's advice. He didn't quite get what Sicheng was implying, but he nodded. Yeah. He just needed to find the perfect moment to confess.

He got up and and gave the three of them a hug. “Thanks for the advice, hyungs. I really, really appreciate it.”

“Wait!” Yuta tossed him a box of melon Pepero before he left the room. “Give this when you confess. He likes melons, right?”

Chenle flushed and sprinted out, trying his best to ignore Yuta's cackles all the way to the front door.

 

 

He returned to the Dreamies’ dorm to find Lucas and Renjun cuddling on the couch. Renjun was sitting on Lucas’ lap, and the taller boy was resting his chin on Renjun’s shoulder as they stared at the laptop in front of them.

“What the hell are you doing?” Out of the corner of his eye, Chenle could see Jisung engaged in a deep discussion with Ten and Jungwoo in the kitchen.

Renjun raised an eyebrow. “It’s Singles’ Day, Chenle. We’re taking advantage of the online sales, obviously."

Lucas turned the computer screen towards him. “We’re buying couple stuff!”

Chenle peered at it. “Hoodies? That’s so disgusting, oh my gosh. I didn’t think you could stoop to this level, Renjun-ge.”

Renjun smirked. “You’re just jealous because you don’t have a boyfriend,” he teased, emphasizing the last part. Chenle glowered at him, completely missing the glance that Jisung sent his way.

Lucas reached out and patted his arm. “It’s okay, Lele. I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.” Renjun smiled up at Lucas and twisted in his arms so that they could kiss again. Chenle began to screech as Lucas started mouthing along Renjun’s jaw and he sprinted out of the living room as fast as he could, far away from the nauseating duo.

 

 

After dinner, Chenle settled down in the living room for movie night. He sat next to Kun and hugged his arm as he sulked. He had kept the melon Pepero with him the whole day, but Jisung’s attention was constantly with someone else and Chenle couldn’t find the right timing to get him alone. Chenle stared at the box in his hands.

 _I might as well eat it if I’m not going to give it to Jisung,_ he thought dejectedly.

Jisung wasn’t even around— he went on a bike ride with Jaemin and Mark and they weren’t coming back until later. Chenle sighed and leaned his head against Kun’s shoulder, staying in that position for the entire duration of the movie while he munched pitifully on the melon Pepero.

The end credits were rolling when Jaemin and Jisung came back. Chenle swallowed as he took in the sight of Jisung flipping his head back and running a hand through his sweaty hair.

He startled a little when Jisung turned his head and made eye contact with him. Chenle hoped he appeared calm and collected on the outside, because the butterflies in his stomach were out of control. He bit into another Pepero stick as Jisung walked over and plopped down next to him.

“I'm so tired,” Jisung sighed, reaching for his water bottle.

Chenle stayed silent and continued eating. He was about two thirds done when Jisung looked over. His eyes lit up at the sight of the box lying next to Chenle's foot and he reached to pick it up.

“Oh hey, melon Pepero! I haven't had this in so long.”

His face fell as he discovered that it was empty, and Chenle mentally slapped himself for being such a glutton.

“Maybe Yuta-hyung has another pack?” Chenle said, the half eaten Pepero dangling out of his mouth as he spoke.

An unfamiliar expression flitted across Jisung's face. He stared at Chenle for quite some time, and Chenle could see Jisung's eyes flickering to the snack between his lips.

It all happened so fast.

Chenle was about to open his mouth when suddenly there was a warm hand on his cheek and a brush of something soft against his mouth. He let out an embarrassing squeak of surprise.

_snap!_

Chenle opened his eyes (when did he close them?) and saw Jisung pulling back, a red blush smattered across his cheeks. The other end of the Pepero stick was in his mouth, and it took a moment for Chenle to realise that Jisung had _kissed_ him to get the melon Pepero.

His right hand flew to his mouth in shock. Jisung, his handsome best friend who he'd been crushing on for who knows how long, had just kissed him. Jisung, the skinship anti. Chenle was trying to wrap his mind around this when he saw the panic in Jisung's eyes.

“Oh gosh, was that not okay? I-I'm so sorry, Chenle, I don't know what I was thinki-”

Chenle grabbed the front of Jisung’s shirt and yanked him forward, effectively shutting him up with another kiss. Jisung's eyes were blown wide with shock but they softened, and he worked a hand around to the small of Chenle's back as he pressed him against the foot of the couch.

It definitely wasn't the first kiss that Chenle was expecting, but it was perfect nonetheless. Jisung tasted like soda and melon, sweet and tangy against  his tongue.

The moment was interrupted as Kun coughed loudly, and Chenle realised with horror that they had just kissed in a room full of people. Jisung scrambled off him and they looked around at their hyungs, all of whom had varying expressions of pride and shock.

Jaemin wiped a tear from his eye. “My babies are growing up so fast,” he sobbed.

Lucas whistled. “Get that bread, Chenle!”

Renjun had his phone out, a devilish smirk on his face. His expression told Chenle that he was never going to let him hear the end of this.

“All right kids, let's get to bed!” Ten hollered, ushering Jeno, Jaemin, and Jungwoo to their rooms. Kun gestured for Lucas and Renjun to follow him, leaving Chenle alone with Jisung.

An awkward silence hung in the air. Jisung sat on his heels, playing with the carpet.

“I, uh, didn’t know what to get you for Singles’ Day,” he mumbled shyly.

_You are the most adorable little hamster boy in the world and I love you so so so much-_

“You didn’t need to get me anything,” Chenle replied, shuffling forward like he did in his dream last night. Chenle inhaled deeply and took Jisung’s hand in his own, smiling as he interlocked their fingers.

The pretty blush appeared on Jisung’s cheeks again, and Chenle wondered how blind he must’ve been to not have noticed how easily Jisung’s face colored. The younger boy brushed his thumb over Chenle’s skin, moving it in tentative circles.

“Can I… kiss you again?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Chenle answered, crawling into Jisung’s lap. Jisung grinned and pinched his cheek, following it up with a peck to the offended area to soothe it. Chenle giggled and wrapped his arms around Jisung’s neck. Who knew that timid, mousy Jisung was actually a whole casanova? Chenle leaned forward, letting their noses bump against each other before he finally closed the gap. Properly, this time, with no prying eyes or loud mouths to ruin anything.

_Things work out in the end, Chenle._

 He made a mental note to buy something nice for Yuta and Taeil later.

**Author's Note:**

> 宝贝 - darling, baby, etc.  
> 甜心 - sweetheart
> 
>  [twitter](https://twitter.com/takadactyl)


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